DP connects on the game-winning free throw as Mookie looks on.
A player crashed into the fence. Another suffered a cut above his right eye. Two others got into a shoving match. The game between heated rivals Diamond and United Brooklyn at West 4th Street Sunday afternoon more resembled a wrestling match than it did a regular season playground game, but the capacity crowd, end-to-end action and no blood, no foul physicality served to remind everyone why we revere this sport so much.
In a game that even saw Darren “Primal Fear” Phillip barking at the officials, United Brooklyn rallied from 18-down to defeat Diamond, 95-93.
The former Fairfield star dropped 19 points and James “Stixx” Williams added 17 to help propel the guys in blue.
United B.K. trailed 46-28 with 3:50 left in the 2nd quarter. But the team went on a 33-13 run over the next nine minutes and took the lead on a Gary Irvin lay-up.
With three seconds left and the score tied at 93, Phillip isolated himself on the left block, spun middle and drew a foul against a helpless Diamond defender. DP calmly sank both free throws.
Mookie Thomas scored 22 points, connecting on six 3s for Diamond, but his shot from the top of the key at the buzzer left a little something to be desired.
The West 4th Street tournament is set to continue Monday at 6 p.m.
June 29th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Naw Son says:
I wish I made it to that one. Can you guys at Bounce put out a schedule of all the tornys in advance. Something like a calender with
games going on. Please. And Kool Bob Loves directions to Lower East Side torny had me almost going home cause there was no way to see the basketball park a block a way threw trees and another ball court. LOL
June 29th, 2009 at 11:15 am
40 Cal says:
That was my bad, not cool bob, I didint look at the permit so I did not realize that we had to use to lower manhattan classic all star arena down the block. My bad naw son.
June 29th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
naw son–i wish we could post all schedules, but with rain-outs and without the cooperation of all the tournament directors, it’s virtually impossible. we do the best we can though, so best to simply check http://www.bouncemag.com everyday, including the comments as some of our readers sometimes know more than us!
as for the west 4th game, props to mookie, man. trevor didn’t mention that mr. thomas’ D on former st. john’s power guard eugene lawrence really made a huge difference for Diamond’s cause, but it was United Brooklyn’s bigs that made the difference with their experience, including John Strickland, who entertained the crowd saying he was the Bernard Hopkins of the playground. i don’t even know who mr. hopkins is, but everyone in the crowd behind the scorer’s table was rolling in laughter. great game
June 29th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
sure says:
Bernard”B-HOP”Hopkins. Ended Felix Trinidad boxing career and also beat Cotto easily. One of the craftiest fighters of recent. Southpaw from Philly.